Agenda item

The cabinet member for business, employment and culture to present the theme for the meeting.

MOTION ON THE THEME – EMPLOYMENT AND LOCAL ECONOMY (see pages 1 - 3 of the main agenda)

As part of the programme motion the meeting consented to the following alteration to the motion:

In point 8 after “encourage the take up of apprenticeships”, add a new bullet point:

•  Continue working collaboratively with the voluntary and community sector (VCS) to secure employment for the borough’s most vulnerable residents, and recognise the role of volunteering in Southwark for leading to employment opportunities.

The deputy leader and cabinet member for business, employment and culture, Councillor Ian Wingfield, presented the motion on the themed debate.

Councillor Hamish McCallum, the majority opposition group spokesperson, responded to the cabinet member’s motion and proposed Amendment A.

Following debate (Councillors Gavin Edwards, Sunny Lambe, James Okosun, Jasmine Ali, Anood Al-Samerai, Karl Eastham, Damian O’Brien, Leo Pollak, Sunil Chopra and Kieron Williams), the deputy leader and cabinet member for business, employment and culture, Councillor Ian Wingfield, responded to the debate.

Amendment A was put to the vote and declared to be lost

The revised motion was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

RESOLVED:

1.  That supporting a strong local economy, improving skills and employment opportunities, and in particular helping some of Southwark’s most vulnerable residents to access jobs is key for the council’s plan to achieve a fairer future for all.

2.  That despite the severe cuts to the council’s funding imposed on Southwark over the last five years under the Tory/Liberal Democrat coalition government, which continue to be imposed under the Tory government, this administration has continued to invest in the borough; growing the local economy, building more homes and creating more jobs and opportunities for local people.

3.  That council assembly regrets that instead of supporting people into work, the Government is continuing the coalition’s policies of penalising working families by cutting tax credits, hitting more than three million families in work who will lose £1,300 next year on average, and cutting Employment and Support Allowance pushing hundreds of thousands of sick and disabled people further away from employment.

4.  That council assembly welcomes the steps this administration has taken to create employment opportunities for local people, including:

·  Supporting 1,450 residents into jobs since May 2014, including nearly 300 people with a range of complex barriers to employment including physical and mental health issues, caring responsibilities and other barriers.

·  Delivering employment support to residents in partnership with local and national organisations, including InSpire St Peters, St Giles Trust, Pecan, Royal Mencap and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

·  Promoting employer led skills provision through initiatives like the business forum and the creation of a new construction skills centre, due to open next year.

5.  That council assembly welcomes the council’s support for local businesses, including:

·  Supporting 24 business projects with £382,000 through the High Street Challenge.

·  Supporting Southwark employers to access £268,000 worth of finance to help their business to grow.

·  Providing direct access to council services for businesses through the council’s online business portal.

·  Supporting small local businesses to take on young people through the Southwark Employment and Enterprise Development Scheme (SEEDS), helping local employers to stimulate business growth and generating sustainable jobs and apprenticeships for young people.

6.  That council assembly welcomes this administration’s commitment to giving young people in Southwark the opportunity to fulfil their potential by:

·  Creating 2,000 new apprenticeships to give young people the opportunity to develop their skills and become work-ready.

·  Guaranteeing opportunities for every school leaver in Southwark to learn, work or train through the youth guarantee.

·  Introducing the Southwark apprenticeship standard to guarantee quality apprenticeships and ensure secure employment, a fair wage, quality training provision and mentoring support for apprentices.

7.  That council assembly also welcomes the council’s partnership work with neighbouring boroughs Lambeth and Lewisham, bringing in excess of £1 million worth of funding into the three boroughs to get residents up-skilled and into work through the ‘pathways to employment’ project, and establishing a joint committee to deliver a joined-up approach to employment and skills.

8.  That council assembly calls on the cabinet to:

·  Continue work on the youth guarantee, to ensure every young person in Southwark has the opportunity for employment, education or training.

·  Continue to invest in skills directly through council apprenticeships, and work with local businesses and partners to expand apprenticeships, particularly focusing on industries like construction where there are job opportunities in the borough.

·  Work in partnership with businesses and organisations in the borough to promote the London Living Wage, and encourage the take up of apprenticeships.

·  Continue working collaboratively with the voluntary and community sector (VCS) to secure employment for the borough’s most vulnerable residents, and recognise the role of volunteering in Southwark for leading to employment opportunities.

9.  That council assembly recognises that national employment programmes do not always provide the right support at the right time to help people with more acute needs get back into work in places like Southwark. Therefore council assembly calls on the cabinet to work with other local authorities to campaign for greater devolution of employment and skills funding and powers to local government.

Note: This motion will be referred as a recommendation to the cabinet for consideration.